• According to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, the use of technology is having a negative impact on the objectives of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
• MGNREGA was launched in 2005 with the objective of providing employment opportunities to rural households and stopping distress migration.
• The scheme guarantees 100 days of employment to every rural household and aims to create durable assets and infrastructure while providing economic security to rural communities.
• However, Ramesh claims that the use of technology in MGNREGA has resulted in the exclusion of vulnerable sections of society, such as Dalits, women, and elderly people, from the scheme.
• The digitization of the scheme has created entry barriers for the poor and illiterate, as they are unable to access digital platforms and submit job applications online.
• Additionally, Ramesh argues that technological interventions have resulted in a reduction in the number of workdays available under MGNREGA, which in turn has led to increased rural distress migration.
• Ramesh has called for the government to rethink the use of technology in MGNREGA and provide access to the scheme to all rural households, irrespective of their technological proficiency.

Overall, it can be concluded that the use of technology in MGNREGA needs to be balanced with a focus on inclusion, accessibility, and the provision of adequate work opportunities to rural communities.